How to Clean Felt

Felt has a porous texture, which is hard to clean. (Image: gray fabric image by Dmitry Grishin from Fotolia.com)

Felt is one of the most ubiquitous fabrics in day-to-day life. However, due to its rough and absorbent texture, it's also one of the worst fabrics for attracting stains. It also has a tendency to pill or shed, making it difficult to clean without damaging the quality of the fabric. But though it takes special care to keep your felt looking as good as new, with just a few common household items, you can remove even persistent stains.

Things You'll Need

Wool-safe laundry detergent, such as Woolite

Clean, dry towel

Damp, smooth dishcloth (not a terry washcloth)

Soft-bristle brush (baby hairbrushes work well)

Pot

Vacuum cleaner

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Machine-Washing Felt

Set your machine's water temperature to cold wash and cold rinse. Set the agitation speed to delicate.

Felt fabric can be difficult to clean. (Image: store display of fabric image by Joyce Wilkes from Fotolia.com)

Add wool-safe detergent and place your felt in the washing machine.

Run the machine.

Lay a clean, dry towel on a flat surface. (The top of your washing machine or dryer works well for this purpose.) Lay the felt flat on top of the towel and let it air-dry. Do not put felt into the dryer. This will warp and shrink the fabric.

Cleaning Shaped Felt Articles

Wipe the stain gently with a damp cloth to begin to lift the stain and draw it to the surface.